


talking in whispers

by princxsstara



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Deaf Louis, M/M, Sad Ending, September 11 Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-01 02:05:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4001770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princxsstara/pseuds/princxsstara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis can't hear the news or the screams, he can only hear his mind racing and his heart beating to the beat of someone else's rhythm. Unfortunately, the rhythm involves Harry and a series of devastating events.</p>
            </blockquote>





	talking in whispers

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for any spelling mistakes, feel free to point them out!!!

The world is full of both the selfish and the selfless. Some want to make a difference to somebody, or rather anybody, who will allow them to and the others want to destroy everything someone has created for their own, unforgivable reasons. We are given a choice to either be the selfless or the selfish but would you rather be remembered by one or remembered by millions?

*********

Being a tour guide for the deaf wasn't exactly how Harry had planned his prolonged trip to New York. He'd planned to get drunk, get high and do everything a 22-year-old man has ever dreamed of whilst in New York but after helping a deaf lady on the subway a few years back, he was offered a job with good pay, good holidays and even better, a chance to make a difference to someone. That someone was Doncaster born-and-bred Louis Tomlinson, a small man with a big ego and an even bigger heart. Harry was always told never to mix business with pleasure but when it came to a man with a soft feathery fringe which always looked so lovely and an arse which was out of this world, how could he not? He fell for Louis as soon as Louis signed 'hello' and offered him a cheeky grin and a small, dainty hand to shake.

Thinking about those days made Harry's heart hurt, all him and Louis did now was argue, fight, cry, make up and ignore their feelings. Louis was planning marriage, babies and family houses in the suburban areas of the city with a white picket fence and a big family dog and Harry was married to his job, taking more hours and more clients so that he didn't have to get home and deal with the shipwreck that was waiting for him across the threshold. They love each other, they really do but Louis thought they needed a break. Harry slept on Ed's couch last night after Louis had signed to him 'leave me the fuck alone' so that's exactly what he did. Except maybe he shouldn't have; maybe he should have fought for Louis because maybe one day, it will all go wrong and everything will come crashing down with no one to save it and no one to fix it.

Texting Louis was easier than video calling him. No arguing, no emotion and no awkward silences on the other side whilst the other person reminded themselves why they were still doing this.

**H, I'm sorry. Come home? Can't sleep very well without you.**

_Louis I can't right now. You know where I am, we're not allowed phones in this building, especially not on the top floor._

**Surprise surprise. I guess I'll see you later then. If you decide to come home that is.**

**Actually don't bother. Go home with one of your beloved work clients instead I couldn't give a fuck anymore; you've chosen work too many times over me and I'm sick of it.**

Okay so maybe Harry was wrong about the no arguing bit.

_You know what Louis? Fuck you. I do all of this to help you, to help us and now I get it all thrown back in my face. Do you really think I want to visit the same places every day and sign the same old script to people. No I really fucking don't but I do it to put food on the table and to make sure that we keep our home and so that we can have a future together without worrying about money problems._

**You do this to help me? To help us? That's funny because all of this is just creating space between us that I'm scared we won't be able to push back together again. Food on the table that you're never home to eat and a house without you isn't home so sorry if I couldn't seem to give a fuck about of that and I just want my boyfriend back.**

_If I remember correctly, I got kicked out of our house last night so don't give me all of that bullshit. I'm going to go and do my job now. We will talk later._

Whilst Harry was showing people around the beautiful city, Louis sat down with his laptop and wrote out an apology. He had to leave. He couldn't sit here and wait for Harry to decide that he wants to be with him.

**Dearest Harry, I never thought it would come to this but I'm leaving. I can't sit around and wait for you anymore, I'm sick of the arguing and the constant emotional upset. I may not be able to hear your sighs when you walk through the door but I know you so well that I know you began to do them involuntary about two months ago. This was meant to be forever but I don't feel that way anymore. By the time you will have read this, I will hopefully be on a plane back to England. Please don't follow me or try to win me back. This is the end of the road for us and I hope you can accept that. This isn't for my benefit, it's what we both need and deserve. I will take my things and be gone by the end of today. I love you, more than you will ever know, but this is too much for me. I'm sorry for everything and please don't forget what we had. Louis .x**

At that moment, the world changed. The planes crashed. The buildings fell. Devastation across the nation.

Louis had no idea. He couldn't hear the screams or the breaking news channel interrupting a show in the living room. He couldn't hear the buildings fall or the emergency aid rushing down the streets of New York. He could only hear his racing mind and his beating heart which seemed to be beating along to someone else's rhythm. He could only hear the repeated chant of "I'm leaving". 

*********

By the time he found out, it had been hours and chances of survival were thin. He rushed to be scene and all Louis could think about was the fact that the top floor of second building was where Harry last stood, angrily texting him and debating their whole relationship. Harry didn't deserve this. He may have been an arsehole at times but he was Louis' arsehole and was currently buried until the rubble. Louis had to get him out. He had to survive. Louis couldn't live without him. He'd planned to leave but everyone knew that he'd be back within two weeks. Louis signed to everyone but no one understood his pleas. Only Harry could understand.

When they signed to Louis that Harry had been found, his heart leapt with joy. His Harry had made it out alive. Except the look on the face of the translator should have been a clear enough sign in itself. A face of upset, sympathy and emotion. Harry hadn't made it out of the building. His Harry was gone.

Louis was told over the next couple of days that Harry had died a hero. Harry had helped people out of the building when the first building was hit but nobody, not even selfless little Harry, could have anticipated the second building being hit. The ground floor where Harry stood helping the people of America was instantly wiped out. Harry would have been dead within seconds and nobody could have saved him. Except Louis. If Louis had never decided to kick Harry out that night, they could have cuddled in bed all morning and Harry would have made him tea and pancakes to apologise. Harry would have never had gone to work on that dreadful September morning in 2001 and he would have still been here today, fourteen years later to pay respect to the fallen. Louis is doing that on his own. Harry, his fallen angel who returned to heaven earlier that he was needed to.


End file.
